Discharge door for rubber mixers



iii-JO- Nov. 29, 1960 C. F. GOTTSCHALK DISCHARGE DOOR FOR RUBBER MIXERS Original Filed Sept. 1, 1954 llllllllllllllll l 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,j/a itw ATTORNEYS Nov. 29, 1960 c. F. GOTTSCHALK DISCHARGE DOOR FOR RUBBER MIXERS Original Filed Sept. 1, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY6 1950 c. F. GOTTSCHALK DISCHARGE DOOR FOR RUBBER MIXERS 1960 c. F. GOTTSCHALK DISCHARGE DOOR FOR RUBBER MIXERS Original Filed Sept. 1, 1 954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I N VEN TOR fimzvx a ATTORNEY 2,962,185 DISCHARGE DOOR FOR RUBBER Carl F. Gottschalk, Seymour, Conn assignor .to'Fan-el- Birmingham Company, Incorporated, AnsoniayConm, a corporation of Connecticut Continuation of application Ser. No. 453,503, Sept. 1, 1954. This application Jan. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 707,650

Claims. (Cl. 220-57) This invention relates to rubber mixers, or mixers for converting materials into a plastic mass. Such devices generally comprise a chamber into which the material is fed, and bladed rotors are mounted to rotate within the chamber to mix and knead the material. The chamber is usually provided with a lower discharge opening through which the material is discharged when it has been mixed, and this opening is usually closed by a discharge door movably mounted on the frame of the machine so that it may be moved from open to closed position.

The present application is a continuation of my application, Serial No. 453,503, filed September 1, 1954, now abandoned.

In many instances the material is worked in the chamber under considerable pressure, and often consists of powders or other finely divided materials which have a tendency to escape from the chamber if there is opportunity for such escape. For this reason it is desirable that the door fit closely against the edges of the discharge opening so as to prevent the escape of materials from the chamber.

However, as the door must be moved to open and closed position, it is difiicult to provide as close a fit as is desired between the door and the surrounding parts of the chamber, and this is particularly true if the door is pivotally mounted to swing to open and closed position. As many of the chambers are of double cylindricalform, the upper surface of the door is usually of inverted V shape in section, and it will be apparent that when a door of such shape is swung to closed position, if one surface of the door should first strike a portion of the casing in closing, this would prevent a tight fit between the casing and the remaining portions of the door surface.

it is, therefore, contemplated by the present invention to provide a closure door for mixers for rubber orlike material, wherein the door is resiliently mounted upon a movable support in order that relative movement .will be permitted between the door and support so that the door may automatically seat itself against the edges of the discharge opening in the mixer casing, and thus a tight fit will be made which will prevent any escape of material from the chamber.

One object of the present invention is to provide a mixer for rubber or like material having a chamber provided with a lower discharge opening with a closure door which is resiliently mounted upon its support so that relative movement will be permitted between the door and support.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mixer having a bottom discharge opening with a closure door mounted upon a door support for relative movement between the door and support and having a mat of resilient material interposed between the door and door support H 2,962,186 Patented Nov. 29, 1 960 2 being supported by-a swinging door support-whereby-relative movement ispermitted between the door support and the door to permit the latter to-automaticallyseat-itself when the door is swung toclosed position.

To these and other ends the invention consists in -the novel features and combinations of parts tobe hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. lis a front elevational view-of a mixer for rubber or like material embodying my invention, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1, some parts being broken away; i

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig.2;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the door and door support looking at the free edge of the latter; and

Fig. .6 is a plan view of'the rubber mat.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown a mixer for rubber or like material com prising a supporting base 10 upon which is supported a mixing chamber 11, which, as illustrated, is of double cylindrical form. In each of the cylinders of the mixer is provided a bladed rotor, designated generally by the numeral 12, and at the lower portion of the chamber, and spanning the intersection between the two cylinders thereof, is a discharge opening 13, the wall of the chamber being cut away to'provide this opening.

It may be noted that the outer edges of the walls of the chamber providing this opening are beveled, as shown at 14, so as to receive, in position to .fit tightly thereagainst, the beveled surfaces 15 upon a closure door 16. Above the surfaces 15 the upper surface of the door is ofinverted V-shaped form in section, as shown at 17,

.so as to present a substantial continuation of the two cylindrical portions of the chamber in order that the upper surfaces of the door will cooperate with the blades upon the rotor.

A door-supporting member 18 is rigidly secured by a key 19 to a pivot rodor shaft 20 rotatably mounted in the frame in bearings 21 (Fig. 1). This shaft may be rotated by a hydromotor 22, the. shaft 23 of which :is rigidly secured tothe shaft 20 by the coupling24. The hydromotor, therefore, serves to swing the door support and door to open and closed position, as will be hereinafter described. 7

The door 16 is supported upon the upper ,flat surface 25 of the door support 18 in such a manner as to permit relative movement between the door and door support, so that the door may seat itself tightly against the edges of the opening in the walls of the chamber. To this end a plate 26 of metal or similar material is mounted upon the surface 25 of the door support 18, and a plate 27 of similar form is disposed at the lower surface of the door 16. Between these plates is disposed a rubber mat 28 of the form shown in Fig. 6. This mat may be bonded to both of the plates 26 and 27 to form a .sandwich, and it will be understood that the rubber is resilient and will allow relative movement between the door and the door support. In order to permit greater deflection of the rubber mat, it may, if desired, be cut out, as shown at 29 in Fig. 6, so that the mat consists of an open frame of generally rectangular shape.

Screws or bolts 30, four in number being shown, are threadedly secured to the door 16 and extend downwardly therefrom through enlarged openings 31 in'the plates 26 and 27, and enlarged openings 32 in the door support itself, so that lateral movement or movement parallel to the door support surface 25 will be permitted between the door and door support. Compression springs 33 are mounted on the bolts 30 between the lower sprface of the door support 13 and-nuts 34 threadedigp the lower ends of the bolts 30. These springs urge the door downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, or in a direction toward the surface 25 of the door support, but will, of course, permit movement of the door relatively to the door support in a vertical direction and also in a horizontal direction within the limits of the clearance between the bolts 30 and the openings 32.

The door and door support are swingable by the hydromotor 22 from the full-line position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted-line position shown in this figure, or through an angle of substantially 120. In order to bear the weight of the door when in its open position, an aligning spacer 36 is secured to the upper surface 25 of the door support, this spacer abutting the edges of the lower sandwich plate 26 at the free edge of the door. Similarly, in order to hold the door in proper position upon the upper plate 27 when the door is swung to open position, an aligning key 37 is provided upon the upper surface of the plate 27, this key being received in a complementary recess 38 at the lower surface of the door. A guard member 39 may be provided adjacent the hinged edge of the door to prevent material accumulating between the door and door support at this point when the door is opened.

Means are provided to lock the door in closed position. For this purpose a plurality of rollers 40 are 1'0 tatably mounted at the free edge of the door support, which rollers are adapted to be engaged by the beveled or cam surface 41 of a key 42 recepirocably mounted in a guide 43 in the frame. As shown in Fig. 4, this key is relatively wide with respect to its depth, so that it will engage a number of the rollers 40 distributed over the length of the free edge of the door.

Secured to the key 42 (Fig. 4) is a piston rod 44 which is actuated by fluid pressure introduced into a cylinder 45 so that the key 42 may be moved from its operative full-line position shown in Fig. 2, in which it holds the door closed, to its dotted-line position shown in this figure, in which it is disengaged from the rollers 40 and will allow the door to be swung to open position.

As is usual in devices of this kind, the mixing chamber may be provided with a fluid jacket, designated as 50, into which a cooling or heating fluid may be introduced, and the door may be cored out, as shown at 51, for a similar purpose. As shown in Fig. l, the shaft or pivot rod may be provided with a central bore 52, which bore may be connected with the hollow interior 51 of the door by a conduit 53. Circulation may be provided with a pipe 54 mounted within the bore 52, the pipe 54 communicating with the interior of the door by a tube 55.

With this construction it will be apparent that a sandwich of rubber or resilient material is provided between the door and swinging door support, so that relative movement between these two members will be provided to enable the door to always seat itself against the edges of the discharge opening so that a tight fit will be secured. While the springs 33 will urge the door toward the upper fiat surface 25 of the door support, sulficient lateral and vertical movement of the door relative to the support will be permitted to enable this close fit to be secured. When the door is swung to open position so that its weight will act in a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface of the door support, the weight will be carried largely by the aligning spacer 36, and by the aligning key 37, which respectively hold the plate 26 against movement relatively to the door support, and the door against relative movement with respect to the plate 27, so that the relative movement which occurs between the door and door support will be between these two plates or through the rubber sandwich 28.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to a hinged or swinging door, it will be understood that it is applicable to doors which are otherwise movably mounted, such, for example, as sliding doors or closure members and, therefore, the invention is not limited to a i ging 4 door. Also it will be understood that the invention 15 not limited to use of a resilient material between the door and door support to permit relative movement therebetween and such movement may be provided by other means.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support pivotally mounted below the chambet for movement toward and from the opening upon which support the door is carried, a key member slidably mounted adjacent the free end of the support and provided with a cam surface to engage a part of the support and cam the door to closed position, a mat of resilient material sandwiched between the door and door support upon which the door rests to permit the door to seat against said opening, and fluid-operated means for actuating said key.

2. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support pivotally mounted below the chamher for movement toward and from the opening upon which support the door is carried, a plate attached to the under surface of the door, a second plate attached to the upper surface of the door support, a mat of resilient material sandwiched between and bonded to both said plates upon which the weight of the door rests, and resilient means urging said door toward the door support.

3. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support pivotally mounted below the chamber for movement toward and from the opening upon which support the door is carried, a plate disposed at the under surface of the door, a second plate attached to the upper surface of the door support, a mat of resilient material sandwiched between, and bonded to both of, said plates upon which the weight of the door rests, when the support is in a horizontal position, and interengaging means on the upper surface of said first plate and the lower surface of the door to restrain relative movement therebetween in one plane and assist in hearing the weight of the door when the support is in a substantially horizontal position.

4. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support pivotally mounted below the chamber for movement toward and from the opening upon which support the door is carried, a plate attached to the under surface of the door, a second plate attached to the upper surface of the door support, a mat of resilient material sandwiched between, and bonded to both of, said plates upon which the weight of the door rests, when the support is in a horizontal position, and a retaining member on the door support to engage the second plate and limit relative movement between the latter and said door support when the latter is in a substantially vertical position.

5. -A rubber mixer as in claim 4 wherein bolts are secured to the door and pass loosely through openings in the door support, and springs surround said bolts below the door support to urge the door toward the support.

6. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support pivotally mounted below the chamber for movement toward and from the opening upon which support the door is carried, a key member slidably mounted adjacent the free end of the support and provided with a cam surface to engage a part of the pport and cam the door to closed position, a mat of resilient material sandwiched between the door and door support upon which the door rests to permit the door to seat against said opening, and means for actuating said key.

7. A mixer for rubber or like material having a chamber provided with a lower discharge opening, a closure door for said opening having a longitudinally extending upper surface of inverted V-shaped form in cross section, the opening in said chamber being of corresponding shape whereby the inclined surfaces of the door enter between and fit against those of the chamber, a door support, means for pivotally mounting the door support to the frame at a point below the chamber for movement toward and from the chamber opening, means mounting said door on the support for translatory movement relatively thereto in a direction transverse to the lengthwise dimension of said inverted V-shaped surface to enable the door to move laterally on the support substantially parallel to the upper surface thereof to seat against the walls of the opening, and spring means urging the door toward the support.

8. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support, means for pivotally mounting the door support to the frame at a point below the chamber for swinging movement toward and from the opening, upon which support the door is carried, said support occupying a substantially horizontal position when the opening is closed, means for swinging said door support about its pivot toward and from closed position, additional means engaging the door support adjacent the free edge thereof to urge it toward the discharge opening, means mounting the door upon the door support for movement relatively thereto in a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface of the door support, and spring means urging the door toward the support.

9. A rubber mixer comprising a chamber having a bottom discharge opening, a door for closing said opening, a door support, means for pivotally mounting the door support to the frame at a point below the chamber for swinging movement toward and from the opening,

upon which support the door is carried, said support occopying a substantially horizontal position when the opening is closed, means for swinging said door support about its pivot toward and from closed position, additional means engaging the door support adjacent the free edge thereof to urge it toward the discharge opening, and means mounting the door upon the door support for translatory movement relatively thereto in a direction transverse to the movement of the door support, said last-named means including bolts secured to the door and passing through enlarged openings in the support, and spring means surrounding said bolts below the support to urge the door theretoward.

10. A mixer for rubber or like material having a chamber provided with a discharge opening, a closure door for said opening having a longitudinally extending upper surface or" inverted V-shaped form in cross section, the opening in said chamber being of corresponding shape whereby the inclined surfaces of the door fit those of the chamber, a door support, means for pivotally mounting the door support to the frame below the chamber for movement toward and from the chamber opening, said support having an upper surface upon which the door is supported, means mounting said door on the support for movement relatively thereto in a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface of the door support and also in a direction substantially transverse to the upper surface of the door support to enable the door to seat tightly against the Walls of the opening, and spring means urging said door toward the upper surface of the door support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,171 Weiss Oct. 11, 1927 2,189,716 Kash Feb. 6, 1940 2,293,160 Miller et al Aug. 18, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 685,007 Germany Nov. 16, 1939 

